"Work has started on how to fly fast jets from Britain’s next generation aircraft carriers.

The decision was taken late last year to fly conventional catapult launched planes from the ships instead of more expensive harrier style aircraft that can land vertically.

But that has caused all kinds of headaches, and the designers have resorted to a simulator at BAE System's aircraft factory at Warton to sort them out.

By the time the Queen Elizabeth class carriers enter service it will be more than four decades since British pilots have operated from a conventional carrier – and that means lots of key skills have been lost in the mists of time."

CVF Foul Line for Deck Landings (red line) crosses the (EMALS) catapult as shown so neither the wasist nor bow catapult can be used during F-35C landing ops. I'm told this is seldom done these days - even in USN - to have simultaneous cats and arrests as in the days of yore. I'm told EMALS is able to launch successively faster than equivalent steam catapults and the UK RN FAA willl not have a lot of F-35Cs onboard CVF to launch anyways.

0.0 Cool! But... last I heard the F-35C wasn't able to land on a carrier deck because of an arrestor hook issue that hadn't been worked out yet. Has it been fixed? Or did I just stumble upon some F-35 haters?

I will answer this way... What you see is a simulator. The other question about 'is hook fixed' is yet to be written. However indications are that it will be fixed with tests next month I believe. I'll try not to predict the future however. This forum has many threads on this issue. Searching with 'hook' should get you there.

Story is repeated on another thread from another source [http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-15969-postdays-0-postorder-asc-start-210.html] so this link is for the video of the F-35C Simulator only:

A smidgeon fast according to Optimum AoA ladder indication and half a ball high and right of centreline from this screenshot of pilot HMDS view from above F-35C Simulator video. Video Clip is at one eigth speed.

Right Click on the playing video to get 'FULL Screen' for some White Line Fever!

Plus one to what sferrin said! While it is extremely annoying that the F-35C tailhook doesn't work right (yet) I believe it is a fixable problem.
More concerning to me are the price increases, thus less aircraft ordered, thus begins the downward death spiral, see F-22 Raptor (presently capped at 183 planes), B-2 Spirit (20 left out of the 21 built), etc. etc. But with commitments to sell this to our allies (if only they weren't broke too) once the F-35 comes out of development it's numbers will increase (hopefully) time will tell.
Now if someone (Britain maybe?) would put a @#$%!! internal GUN on the F-35C (and no, the gun pod doesn't count)! Sigh...

A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.— Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

F-35C Simulator One Eighth Slow Motion BOLTER Video Clip [replaced with better quality LiveLeak version] + ScreenGrab of 'bolter' from Youtube video here: [Wires almost out of picture with aircraft airborne] After video has loaded / run once when rerun the screen with a right click can go to 'Full Screen'.